Coaster-hub for velocipedes and the like.



W. BLAIR.

GOASTER HUB FOR VELOOIPEDES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED rum, 1911.

1 ,004, 1 38, Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

I i i 1 w. BLAIR.

OOASTEB HUB FOR VELOOIPEDES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED T314, 1911 Patented Sept 26, 1911.

' W. BLAIR.

OOASTER HUB FOR VBLOGIPEDES AIPLIOATION nun rnn.

4 um mm :4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BLAIR, 0F COVENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO RUDGE-WHITWORTHLIMITED, 015 COVENTRY, ENGLAND.

COASTER-HUIB FOR VELOCIPEDES AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM BLAIR, subject of the King of Great Britainand Ireland, residing at Rudge WVorks, Coventry, in the county ofWarwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inand Relating to Coaster-Hubs for Velocipedes and the Like, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in coaster hubs for velocipedesand the like of the type in which one or more floating double-actingpawls are mounted in one or more recesses in and used to engage thedriving member with either the hub shell or the braking ratchet teeth asrequired, its object being to provide a coaster hub of the above typewhich shall be simple in its construction and eflicient in its action.

The invent-ion consists in a coaster hub for velocipedes and the like,in which the movement of the pawl from one to the other of its engagingpositions is effected by the contour of the recess in the driving memberwherein it lies, which contour is such that on a small circumferentialmovement of the pawl within this recess, a point thereof is suitablyelevated or depressed to effect the desired engagement, thecircumferential movement being caused by spring produced friction of thepawl with an opposing part.

This invention also consists in the improved form of pawl actuation forcoaster hubs as hereinafter described.

are elevation and plan respectively of the.

pawl used in the modification shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 9, shows aform of the hub in which the pawl engages with one of two externalratchet rings. Fig. 10 is a cross section on the line E-E of Fig. 9 withshell 9 omitted. Fig. 11 is a perspective view with parts broken away.

In carrying the invention into effect as shown for example in Figs. 1, 2and 3 of the drawings, the chain sprocket wheel, a, is

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 4, 1911.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

Serial No. 606,639.

mounted on a driving member, I), running on ball bearings, c, placedbetween itself and an adjustable cone, (Z, carried on the hub spindle.0n the other side ball bearings, e, separate the member from the outerhub shell, f, and from a member, 9, attached thereto and provided withinternal ratchet teeth as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. At a suitable positionon the circumference of the driving member, I), there is formed arecess, h, in which is placed a double-acting pawl, the sides of therecess being formed to prevent side movement of the pawl. This pawlconsists of two parts, 70, and m, the part is, being of a shape commonlyused in freewhcel devices, and the part, m, being in the form of a thickarm projecting therefrom. The two parts are formed integral with oneanother and placed'side by side but with their noses pointing inopposite directions, one projecting 11 Ward and the other downward. Ithas een found preferable to make the part, m, of the pawl with a lengthequal to about one third that of the part, is.

The opposite ends of the recess, h, are cut away in such a manner thatwhen the tail end is of one half, 70, of the pawl is in engagement withits end of the recess, the projecting nose of the other half, m, iscom.- pletely freed from ratchet teeth, a, formed externally on amember, 0, by which the operation of the brake is effected. The form ofthe brake is immaterial, but by way of example the brake actuatingmember, 0, is shown connected to a brake of the type in which a copperor like band, p, suitably guided in a stationary member, 9, secured to acycle or like frame, is caused to expand and come into contact with thehub shell, f, which under ordinary conditions runs on ball bearings, 1',placed between itself and the member, 9. It will be seen that the hubshell, 7, thus is substantially connected with and is under the entirecontrol of the sprocket wheel, a, in consequence of the braking effect.

In order to maintain the pawl in a position ready for engagement witheither of the members, 9, or n, by means of the ratchet teeth thereon,suitablespring means are placed under the pawl. Such means may consistas shown of a round headed peg, .9, carried in a hole in the drivingmember, b, and pressed into contact with the underside of the pawl by aspring-say of the type comprising a piece of coiled wire, 25, placed ina recess in the driving member, I), and operating through the medium ofthe member, u. The tilting of the pawl is effected and clattering overthe ratchet teeth in free-wheeling is avoided in the following manner:The pawl recess, h, is formed with a pocket at each end so that when arelative movement takes place between the driving member, 6, and thepart, is, of the pawl and the tail of the part 70, is coming intoengagement with its corresponding end of the recess, the part a), of thedriving member, I), is arranged to insert itself between the pawl andthe internal ratchet ring, on the member, 9, and as the pawl moves downinto its pocket, the spring-pressed peg, s, which is centrally placed inthe recess presses the free end outward and so effectually tilts thepawl.

Although this invention has been clescribed as applied to the case inwhich the pawl engages with internal and external ratchet rings, it isequally applicable to the case in which two internal or two externalratchet rings of the same or different diameter are used, suitablemodifications being made in the manner of carrying the invention intoeffect for the purpose and the two noses of the pawl being suitablyturned so as toengage the ratchet rings.

An example of a hub having two internal ratchet rings is shown in Figs.4, 5 and 6 in which parts similar to the first modification have beencorrespondingly indicated. In such a hub the ratchet rings on both thedriven and brake actuating members, 9 and 0, are of the internal typeand substantially of the same diameter, the driving member, 6, whichcarries the chain wheel, a, being formed with a part having a diameteronly slightly less than the internal diameter of the two ratchet rings.As before a recess, h, is formed in the driving member and a doubleacting pawl eachpart of which is of shape commonly used in free-wheeldevices placed therein. The shape of the driving side of the pawl issimilar to that described in the first modification, but the nose of thebraking pawl m, instead of pointing downward, points upward, andpreferably slightly beyond the tail of the driving part. The curve ofthe back of the pawl from one nose to the other and the spacing of theteeth on the driving and braking ratchet rings is in such relation tothe length of the pawl that only one of the noses of the pawl can beinengagement with one of the ratchet rings at any instant.

In the form in which two external ratchet rings are employed, as shownin Figs. 9 and 10, the driving member, I), is formed with a hollowcylindrical extension embracing both sets of ratchet teeth, the pawlbeing carried in a recess in the internal surface of this extension, themember, 9, connected to the hub shell is brought around so that the ringof teeth formed thereon is on the left hand side, and the member, 0,which operates the brake is carried through the end of the member, '9,so that the ring of teeth, a, come upon the right hand side of thosepreviously mentioned.

With the actuating device above described one pawl is, as a rule, onlynecessary and, as it is not pivoted in any manner, the danger ofbreakage is materially reduced. The shape of the recess in the drivingmember is such that the pawl bears against a part of the driving memberas near as possible directly behind the engaging nose of the pawl.

This form of coaster hub can be used in conjunction with certain formsof variable speed gear to form a connection in one hub between a speedgear and a coaster brake.

In all the modifications of the invention the shape of the pawl and therecess in which it is placed are capable of considerable modificationand also many modifications can be made in the general construction ofthe pawl actuation device without in any way departing from the spiritof the invention.

The device operates as follows :lVhen the driving member 6, is heldstationary while the ratchet ring on the shell member 9 continuesrunning, friction will act on the pawl to carry it to the other end ofthe recess in the driving member and throw it into the pocket. In thisposition the pawl is ready to engage with the braking ratchet ring whenthe driving member is backwardly rotated and by a slight backwardpressure in said driving member, which pressure is not sufficient toapply the brake, the pawl is kept completely free of the driving ratchetring and is held down in the recess in the driving member 6. So long asthe driving member rotates in this direction its motion will betransmitted to the hub shell f, and no change in the position of thepawl will take place. Should, however, the driving member 6 be heldstillas in freewheelingthe ratchet ring carried by the shell hub f willcontinue revolving and by friction will carry the pawl to the other endof the recess h, in the driving member. During th1s movement of the pawlrelative to the driving member I), the nose of the part 7:, of the pawlthat was in engagement with the driving ratchet ring is turned inward,

while the other nose is pressed downward against the breaking ratchetring, the corresponding tail of the pawl then seating in the pocket atthe other end of the recess.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination in a coaster hub forvelocipedes and the like, a hub shell, ratchet teeth carried by the hubshell, a brake actuating member within the hub shell ratchet teeth uponsaid brake actuating member, a driving member extending into the hubshell, a double acting pawl carried in a recess in said driving member,and means acting to move said pawl circumferentially in said recess toeffect engagement with the teeth of the hub shell or of said brakeactuating member.

2. In combination in coaster hubs for velocipedes and the like, a hubshell, a brake actuating member, teeth carried by said shell and member,a driving member extending into the hub, a pocket having cam shaped endsformed in said driving member, a double acting pawl capable ofcircumferential movement in said pocket, said movement causing said pawlto engage with the teeth carried by the hub shell or the brake actuatingmember, and means acting to cause said circumferential movement of saidpawl.

3. In combination in a coaster hub for velocipedes and the like, a hubshell, a. brake actuating member, teeth carried by said hub and member,a driving member extending into the hub, a pocket having cam shaped endsformed in said driving member, a double acting pawl capable ofcircumferential movement in said pocket, and spring means causingfriction of said pawl with one of the sets of teeth, whereby said pawlis moved circumferentially in said pocket and co-acts with the endsthereof to enga e the teeth carried by the hub shell or the rakeactuating member.

4:. In combination in coaster hubs for velocipedes and the like, a brakeactuating member, a ring of ratchet teeth formed upon said actuatingmember, a hub shell, a ring of ratchet teeth fixed within the hub shell,a driving member extendin into the hub, a pocket having cam shaped endsformed in said driving member, a double acting pawl capable ofcircumferential movement in said pocket, and co-acting with the camshaped ends thereof to engage one or other of said rings of ratchetteeth and a spring pressing said pawl into frictional engagement withthe teeth fixed to said hub shell to effect movement of said pawl to oneor the other end of said pocket.

' 5. In combination in coaster hubs for ve locipedes and the like, abrake actuating member, a ring of internal ratchet teeth formed uponsaid actuating member, a hub shell, a ring of internal ratchet teethfixed within the hub shell, a driving member extending into the hub, apocket having cam shaped ends formed in said driving member, a doubleacting pawl capable of circumferential movement in said pocket, andco-acting with the cam shaped ends thereof to engage one or other ofsaid rings of ratchet teeth and a spring pressing said pawl intofrictional engagement with the rings of ratchet teeth to effect movementof said pawl to one or the other end of said pocket.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM BLAIR.

Witnesses W. A. BAKER, J. NEWTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

